[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 219 (Tuesday, November 12, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58038-58039]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-28853]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Announcement of Import Restraint Limits and Guaranteed Access 
Levels for Certain Cotton, Wool and Man-Made Fiber Textile Products 
Produced or Manufactured in Guatemala

November 4, 1996.
AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs establishing 
import limits and guaranteed access levels.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Aldrich, International Trade 
Specialist, Office of Textiles and Apparel, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, (202) 482-4212. For information on the

[[Page 58039]]

quota status of these limits, refer to the Quota Status Reports posted 
on the bulletin boards of each Customs port or call (202) 927-5850. For 
information on embargoes and quota re-openings, call (202) 482-3715.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Authority: Executive Order 11651 of March 3, 1972, as amended; 
section 204 of the Agricultural Act of 1956, as amended (7 U.S.C. 
1854); Uruguay Round Agreements Act.

    The import restraint limits for textile products, produced or 
manufactured in Guatemala and exported during the period January 1, 
1997 through December 31, 1997 are based on limits notified to the 
Textiles Monitoring Body pursuant to the Uruguay Round Agreements Act 
and the Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC). The 
Guaranteed Access Levels are being established pursuant to a Memorandum 
of Understanding (MOU) dated March 3, 1995 between the Governments of 
the United States and Guatemala.
    In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the 
Commissioner of Customs to establish limits and guaranteed access 
levels for 1997. The limit for Category 448 has been reduced for 
carryforward applied in 1996.
    A description of the textile and apparel categories in terms of HTS 
numbers is available in the CORRELATION: Textile and Apparel Categories 
with the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (see Federal 
Register notice 60 FR 65299, published on December 19, 1995). 
Information regarding the 1997 CORRELATION will be published in the 
Federal Register at a later date.
    Requirements for participation in the Special Access Program are 
available in Federal Register notice 51 FR 21208, published on June 11, 
1986; 52 FR 26057, published on July 10, 1987; 54 FR 50425, published 
on December 6, 1989; 55 FR 3079, published on January 30, 1990, 61 FR 
49439, published on September 20, 1996.
    The letter to the Commissioner of Customs and the actions taken 
pursuant to it are not designed to implement all of the provisions of 
the MOU, the Uruguay Round Agreements Act and the ATC, but are designed 
to assist only in the implementation of certain of their provisions.
Troy H. Cribb,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
November 4, 1996.

Commissioner of Customs,
Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC 20229.

    Dear Commissioner: Pursuant to section 204 of the Agricultural 
Act of 1956, as amended (7 U.S.C. 1854), the Uruguay Round 
Agreements Act and the Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles and 
Clothing (ATC); and in accordance with the provisions of Executive 
Order 11651 of March 3, 1972, as amended, you are directed to 
prohibit, effective on January 1, 1997, entry into the United States 
for consumption and withdrawal from warehouse for consumption of 
cotton, wool and man-made fiber textile products in the following 
categories, produced or manufactured in Guatemala and exported 
during the period beginning on January 1, 1997 and extending through 
December 31, 1997, in excess of the following restraint limits:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Category                        Twelve-month limit     
------------------------------------------------------------------------
340/640...................................  1,248,513 dozen.            
342/642...................................  432,586 dozen.              
347/348...................................  1,494,950 dozen.            
351/651...................................  263,367 dozen.              
443.......................................  70,063 numbers.             
448.......................................  41,297 dozen.               
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Imports charged to these category limits for the period January 
1, 1996 through December 31, 1996 shall be charged against those 
levels of restraint to the extent of any unfilled balances. In the 
event the limits established for that period have been exhausted by 
previous entries, such goods shall be subject to the levels set 
forth in this directive.
    The limits set forth above are subject to adjustment in the 
future according to the provisions of the Uruguay Round Agreements 
Act, the ATC and any administrative arrangements notified to the 
Textiles Monitoring Body.
    Pursuant to the Memorandum of Understanding dated March 3, 1995 
between the Governments of the United States and Guatemala; and 
under the terms of the Special Access Program, as set forth in 51 FR 
21208 (June 11, 1986), 52 FR 26057 (July 10, 1987), 54 FR 50425 
(December 6, 1989) and 61 FR 49439 (September 20, 1996), effective 
on January 1, 1997, guaranteed access levels are being established 
for properly certified textile products assembled in Guatemala from 
fabric formed and cut in the United States in the following 
categories which are re-exported to the United States from Guatemala 
during the period January 1, 1997 through December 31, 1997:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Category                      Guaranteed Access Level  
------------------------------------------------------------------------
340/640...................................  520,000 dozen.              
342/642...................................  100,000 dozen.              
347/348...................................  1,000,000 dozen.            
351/651...................................  200,000 dozen.              
443.......................................  25,000 numbers.             
448.......................................  42,000 dozen.               
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Any shipment for entry under the Special Access Program which is 
not accompanied by a valid and correct certification and Export 
Declaration in accordance with the provisions of the certification 
requirements established in the directive of January 24, 1990, as 
amended, shall be denied entry unless the Government of Guatemala 
authorizes the entry and any charges to the appropriate specific 
limit. Any shipment which is declared for entry under the Special 
Access Program but found not to qualify shall be denied entry into 
the United States.
    The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements has 
determined that these actions fall within the foreign affairs 
exception of the rulemaking provisions of 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(1).
    Sincerely,
Troy H. Cribb,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
[FR Doc. 96-28853 Filed 11-8-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F